While Laxus was still acting like an electric rat, Allen's eyes locked tightly onto the faint giant-snake phantom hovering above Malcolm's head. Then, wearing an astonished expression, he turned his gaze to Malcolm and asked, "You actually know Eighteen Demon God Magic? You should know that there aren't many people capable of using magic of this level. Given your background, you shouldn't have had access to it in the first place. Can you tell me who taught it to you?"
However, after hearing Allen's words, Malcolm only grew even more furious.
Malcolm trembled with rage and roared at the top of his lungs, "That's right! Exactly! In the past, someone with mediocre talent like me really couldn't come into contact with super magic like this. No matter how much effort and sweat I put in, it would all have been in vain! But I'm not the same person I was anymore! I've long since been reborn. I'll kill every last one of you so-called geniuses!!!"
With that, Malcolm fixed Allen with a sinister stare and continued unhurriedly, "Of course, if you join us now, you'll not only be able to learn Eighteen Demon God Magic, but you'll also have a chance to come into contact with even greater power. What do you say? Think it over. If you put down your weapon and surrender to me now, it's still not too late."
Allen let out a scornful laugh. "Join you? Become neither human nor demon like you? There's no point in saying more. Once I defeat you, I'll find out from your mouth who taught you this super magic."
The moment Allen finished speaking, his figure flashed out like lightning. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Malcolm, and Gram, wrapped in an incomparably fierce aura, thrust straight toward him.
"Holy Spear Slash!"
Gram radiated dazzling light as it stabbed toward Malcolm with lightning speed.
Unexpectedly, although Allen had not attacked with his full strength, Malcolm instinctively raised both hands and forcibly blocked Gram's sudden strike. A string of dazzling sparks even burst from the point of collision. Malcolm was merely knocked back some distance and was not injured at all.
At that moment, Allen was surprised to discover that Malcolm's body had begun undergoing subtle changes. A layer of faint black patterns gradually appeared across his originally normal skin, while patches of something resembling snake scales continued to emerge. The scales emitted an eerie glow and became increasingly distinct as time passed.
Judging solely from the force of the collision when Gram struck Malcolm's hands, the defensive power of those scales was astonishing—enough to rival Theodore's body.
Although Malcolm had initially been badly frightened by the astonishing speed Allen had suddenly displayed, the moment he saw that he had successfully blocked Allen's attack, he became arrogant again.
He could not help throwing his head back and laughing loudly. Then he shouted arrogantly, "See that? This is the mighty power granted to me by the great Asmodeus! Since you've chosen to oppose us, today shall be the day you die!"
"Touch of Destruction!"
Before his voice had even faded, Allen suddenly noticed the enormous snake shadow that had been coiling behind Malcolm. Its blood-red eyes abruptly lit up with a chilling, soul-stirring gleam. Immediately afterward, several incomparably thick black tentacles, filled with an intense aura of destruction, shot out from Malcolm's body. They resembled vicious, terrifying venomous snakes, baring their fangs and claws as they raced toward Allen.
Allen quickly leaped backward while swinging Gram, shattering the tentacles that flew before him one after another.
Just as he successfully forced Allen to retreat again and again, a flash of cunning and triumph crossed Malcolm's eyes. He decided to press his advantage and give Allen no chance to catch his breath.
He began moving both hands in an extremely strange and distinctive manner, as if a snake were twisting its body. At the same time, vast amounts of magic power surged out of him like roaring, swelling tides, instantly filling the surrounding space.
With a low, furious shout of "Shadow Bind Strangulation!" Malcolm's originally calm shadow suddenly writhed violently, as though it had been given life. Then, a gigantic python formed from pure magic power burst out of the shadow and charged ferociously toward Allen.
The magic python's body was enormous, and it was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it had reached Allen, intending to wrap its thick, powerful body tightly around him and strangle him.
Facing this sudden and exceptionally fierce attack, Allen did not panic. He planted both feet against the ground and forcefully stopped his retreating body. At the same time, Gram in his right hand began to swing rapidly, whipping up a sharp gale that howled through the air.
"Holy Spear Slash!"
With a thunderous bang, Gram slammed into the menacing giant shadow-python. In an instant, sparks flew in all directions and magic power erupted wildly.
The giant snake blocked Gram's first attack, but a series of successive strikes then rained down upon its head. Gram successfully pierced through the giant snake's head with the second strike. Allen then controlled Gram and drove it through the snake's entire body from head to tail.
"What?!"
Malcolm found it difficult to believe that the technique into which he had poured so much magic power had been so easily defeated.
After passing through the giant snake's body, Allen continued leaping forward like an arrow released from a bow. At the same time, Gram's shaft suddenly erupted with dazzling, brilliant light. In the dark battlefield, it was like a sun. Then, a beam of light traveling at extreme speed and possessing astonishing power shot from the spearhead, flying straight toward Malcolm like lightning tearing across the sky.
"Royal Spear Strike!"
Now that the snake scales had granted Malcolm powerful defensive abilities, his confidence had swollen to an extreme degree. Seeing the Royal Spear Strike, which could pierce through anything, already close before him, he had no intention of dodging. Instead, he merely crossed his hands before his chest, foolishly attempting to rely on his incomparably sturdy snake-scale armor to block Allen's heavy, powerful attack once again.
What Malcolm never expected was that Allen had already seen through the defensive limits of the snake scales during their earlier exchange. Thus, Allen had pushed the power of this Royal Spear Strike to its absolute maximum.
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted where Malcolm stood. The shockwave from the blast sent the members of Foxes of the Forest, who were lying on the ground, flying several meters away. A massive cloud of smoke followed.
When the smoke cleared, Malcolm was kneeling on one knee and gasping for breath. Several parts of his body were pouring blood, yet the madness in his eyes had only intensified. "I never thought you could actually break through my defenses."
Allen pointed Gram at Malcolm. "As long as you give up resisting now and tell me who's behind you, you won't have to die."
Malcolm merely let out a cold laugh and did not answer. Instead, he pulled a dark-purple crystal from his robes and crushed it with force.
In an instant, the magic power of the townspeople and the members of Foxes of the Forest converged toward Malcolm. The giant snake phantom above them also flew down from the sky toward him. Malcolm's body then rapidly expanded and transformed, until what finally appeared before everyone was a fully materialized giant snake.
Before you continue